Wood Elf

Once, it stood as the crown of the world: the mother tree Yggdrasil, whose boughs upheld the very heavens themselves as well as the seat of the Goddess Saria to whom all of elvenkind owe devotion. Where the Goddess was once the lifeblood of Druidism, the tree and its world-spanning roots served as her heart, spreading her magic across the known realm and beyond. Now, neither remain: the Goddess vanquished at the hands of envious mortals, and the heart of Yggdrasil burned out into an empty, withered husk. Thus did the age of the Ancient elves come to an abrupt and heartbreaking end, with many seeking solace away from the mortals who wounded them so. Only those who would become the Wood Elves remained, utterly devoted to Saria’s word.

Though her magic lingered in the heart of the world, there was little that could be done for what was once a paradise for elvenkind. Generation after generation of the faithful poured all their prayer and all their magic into attempting to heal and perhaps restore the great tree to any semblance of its former glory. Such efforts have largely been fruitless: scarred by magics too alien to recover from, not even the focused remnants of Saria’s magic could hope to mend its wounds. But after a thousand years of ceaseless devotion, at last something in the mother tree stirred: from once-charred branches and vines sprouted hundreds of massive seeds heavy with magic and - most importantly - life waiting to stir again.

Just as pollen spreads new growths through the wind, it was through these seeds that the Wood Elves set out across the realm. Revered warriors, druids, and priests were charged with taking one seed and an entourage of close followers out into the world, searching for places where the earth called out to them. There, these Seed-Bearers would plant the beginnings of new trees, new forests, and new tribes to spread the gift of the Goddess’ magic.

The Cults of Saria
Wood Elves stand out as the branch most similar to their ancient form, when Saria descended upon the war-torn world and created them to safeguard paradise. The largest of the clans, known as the Children of Saria, still maintain the most holy site of Old Lyveria while sending out envoys to raise smaller sites of worship and study throughout the realm. While being the most prolific of the clans has its advantages, their approach has not been without some resistance: there are clans that insist that Druidism belongs to them and them alone and have grown resentful towards the other races, thinking it sacrilegious that they could even think to attune to the powers drawn from the very Goddess they slew ages ago. Others yet insist that Saria’s love belongs to all those who walk her world, and that through her magic all might find unity. In this way did the holy mission of replanting the mother’s seeds have the unfortunate effect of bringing division among Saria’s children.

While there are numerous cults of Saria, the major bodies of thought they follow can be divided into four:
 * Warrior clans who supplement intense martial training with Druidic magic, that they might best safeguard the natural world against her enemies;
 * Priest clans who prioritize worship and contemplation above all, who use their magic as a means of religious supplication;
 * Naturalists who devote their lives to the study and care of the flora in and around their tribal homes;
 * Skin-changers, rarest and most elusive of all, who seek enlightenment through embodying the beasts that provide them sustenance.

Each have traditions unique to themselves but the most important ones are shared, with differing minutiae representing various aspects particular to their tribe or clan. When Wood Elf children reach their passage into adulthood, they begin the process of decorating their faces and bodies with deeply elaborate tattoos to mark achievements, celebrations, journeys made and wisdom earned. They often start as simple things: iconography or symbols to define their place in a clan that will continue to grow throughout the rest of their lives.

Equally important are holy rites that each pay homage to the Goddess, as their worship is easily the most practice-based among the faithful elves. Communal prayers and festivals are scattered throughout the year, though in times of particular need or bounty, the tribe may gather to perform ritual sacrifices in hopes that the lifeblood of a beast might earn Saria’s favor. Through ceremony the creature is culled and its flesh devoured, and its bones are given sacred places in or around their homes to draw good omens their way. Some tribes save such rites for sapient beings, as was the way in in the earliest days following the Schism, when the Ancients had little else but grief and anger upon their minds.

Apart from the Woodlands
Leaving the woods behind does not always come easily to one whose very culture is wholly dependent upon the wilderness but there are a surprising many that manage. Sometimes, a compromise is struck: small huts or even outposts raised near enough to the cities that they are still easily accessible but not so close as to deny them contact with the natural world as well. From such places, non-traditional Wood Elves can live as freely as they wish and as independently as they wish - both from the needs of a tribe and their own spiritual inclinations.

Many of the roles one might take in a tribal setting are just as applicable outside it. Wood Elven hunters and trackers can help provide food, pelts, and other raw materials for themselves and whatever settlements may be nearby. Those properly trained as Druids are a blessing for any farmlands needing an edge in productivity. Despite almost overwhelmingly carnivorous diets, Wood Elves nevertheless tend to get along well with animals such as horses, cows, and sheep, making a natural fit for taking care of livestock.

Racial Relations

 * With High Elves: Strained. Turned away from Saria's true grace and abandoning their place to retreat beyond the Veil - there is an understanding of their grief, as well as a worry for what that grief has shaped them into.
 * With Wood Elves: Fair. In general, Wood Elves aren't bothered by one another and what conflicts arise are typically resolved by ignoring them entirely. To each tribe their own; in the end, they all serve Saria.
 * With Dark Elves: Fair. They are more like their High Elven brethren than they themselves would dare admit. But at least the Drow have kept up their servitude, if only in their uniquely Drow ways: even in the dark, there is life to be tended and cared for, just as Saria would have wanted.
 * With Dwarves: Fair. The Dwarves bother them not, and the Wood Elves are just as eager to return the courtesy. Their history is deeply fascinating, especially when put against the history of the elves. It's envious how the Dwarvenkind seems to get along fairly well with themselves. Deeply envious.
 * With Orcs: Fair. Though their magic and spirituality stems from a different source, its commendable how their society comes together around it.
 * With Humans: Fair. A little greedy and perhaps over eager to stretch themselves thin, but they're alright.

Notable Wood Elves in Ardea

 * Something about Badur!

See also:

 * A directory of known Wood Elves in Aetheral.